Sources: findagrave honorstates.org U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942- 1949

Name: Adrian Albert Engelhard Jr. Rank: Private Service Number: 10600161 Service: 135th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, US Army Awards: Purple Heart Date of Birth: August 25, 1919 Place of Birth: Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii Date of Enlistment: July 5, 1942 Age at Enlistment: 22 Height: 6 feet Complexion: Light Eye Color: Blue Hair Color: Brown Occupation: Serving in Canadian Force at Nova Scotia (at Draft registration Oct 16, 1940) Marital Status: Single Religion: Protestant Date of Death: April 10, 1943 Age: 23 Cemetery: North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial, Tunisia Grave: Plot E, Row 11, Grave 4 Adrian Albert Engelhard, Jr. was the son of Adrian Albert Engelhard, Sr. (1891-1948) and Muriel Rento "Nano" (Hind) Engelhard (1893-1969), and the brother of Robert Hind "Bugs" Engelhard (1922-1985). His parents were married in 1918. His father served in the US Army in World War I. Adrian attended Stanford University for two years in the late 1930s before setting out on a bicycle tour of Europe. He arrived in Scotland from New York aboard the SS Caledonia on July 6, 1939. He subsequently decided to join the volunteer American ambulance sections attach to the French Army sometime in late 1939 or early in 1940; “shortly after the war started”. These medical transport units, formally called Sections Sanitaires de Volontaires Américains (SSVA), organized by the American Field Service (AFS). They operated Chevrolet ambulances alongside the French Army during the German invasion, evacuating the wounded under fire and during the mass civilian exodus. Four SSVA sections were formed between January and June 1940. Each section had about 20 Chevrolet ambulances, capable of carrying 6 stretcher cases or 10 seated wounded. They were attached to the French Army’s medical services, working near the front lines and in rear evacuation zones. A news article dated June 26, 1940, just one day after the fall of France, reported that Adrian would soon be returning home following his service in France with the SSVA. The same article noted that, at one point, rumors had circulated suggesting he had been killed in action. He made it out of France, with documentation from the Spanish Border Police confirming his entry on August 24, 1940, as he crossed into Spain on his journey back to North America. From Lisbon he departed Europe, and a news report dated May 4, 1943, records that he subsequently joined the Canadian Forces. Color blindness kept him from joining the USAAF, so he joined the Canadian Army. According to his draft registration of October 16, 1940, he was serving “in Canadian Force at [Nova Scotia].” Contemporary news reports further note that he was in the Canadian Army “when America entered WWII,” indicating that his service in Canada extended from at least October 1940 until roughly July 1942, when he transferred to the United States Army. He served with the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (Black Watch). From his post in England, Private Engelhard was later transferred to an American Signal Corps unit stationed in Ireland. After enlisting in the United States Army, Adrian was assigned to the 135th Infantry Regiment of the 34th Infantry Division; its nickname, the “Red Bulls.” His occupation at enlistment is recorded as actor. Adrian was killed in action in Tunisia on April 10, 1943. On April 10th, the 135th Infantry Regiment was in North Africa, engaged in the final phase of the Tunisian Campaign. At that time, the regiment was conducting patrols, preparing for renewed offensive action, and holding positions west of Bizerte and Tunis as part of II Corps’ push to drive Axis forces from Tunisia.